1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for transporting goods and their arrangement in a transporting vehicle, and specifically, to a storage and transportation system and method employing pallets for delivering pressurized gas cylinders to a customer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pressurized gas cylinders are used in a number of operations (e.g., healthcare) requiring the storage of specialized industrial gases. These cylinders may be filled with gases such as oxygen, propane, acetylene, argon, nitrogen, or others. The cylinders are generally filled with the gas before delivery to a customer.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to improve the process of transporting gas cylinders to the customer. These attempts typically provide for the cylinders to be transported in an upright or vertical position, typically standing on their bottom ends. Some of the teachings in the prior art relating to the transportation of gas cylinders are the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,007 provides a method and apparatus for delivering gas cylinders in a vertical position whereby pallets are loaded onto a truck frame. In the ""007 patent, the gas cylinders are held in the pallet in a vertical position using straps.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,344 discloses a plurality of pallets on a flatbed truck in a vertical position. In the ""344 patent, the gas cylinders are held in the pallet in a vertical position using chains. The pallet is automatically aligned and secured in place in a chosen bay.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,431 (see FIG. 10 PRIOR ART) discloses a pallet for holding pressurized gas cylinders in a vertical position. An upper gate member serves to assist in retaining the cylinders within the confines of the pallet. A lower gate member is pivotally connected and forms a ramp to facilitate the loading and unloading of the gas cylinders onto and off of the top of the floor structure.
The prior art reveals apparatus and systems where the gas cylinders are typically maintained in a vertical position. By capturing the gas cylinders in an inclined position, as in the newly designed pallet and system disclosed, access is available to every gas cylinder being transported without having to rearrange the gas cylinders or pallets on the transport vehicle in order for the operator to gain access to a cylinder with an appropriate gas needed by the customer at delivery.
It is one aspect of this invention to provide a pallet for use in capturing and transporting gas cylinders in their inclined position. The pallet includes a supporting base frame, a pair of horizontally spaced, upstanding and parallel side frame members rigidly secured to the base frame, and cylinder carriers. The cylinder carriers are positioned between the side frame members. The cylinder carriers being disposed in an inclined position at an angle xcex1 of less than ninety degrees. The angle xcex1 is formed between a surface on the carrier and a surface on the base frame. The carrier captures each cylinder and each respective captured cylinder is oriented with its valve end and contents label facing the front end of the pallet. The contents label is visible to an operator while in the carrier.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a transporting system suitable for gas cylinders. The system includes a load-supporting bed forming part of a vehicle and a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart and laterally extending bays arranged in two longitudinally extending rows disposed on the bed. A walkway is disposed on the bed and raised therefrom, the walkway divides the two longitudinally extending rows. A plurality of pallets, as described above, are used in the system. Once the pallets have been properly loaded into their respective bays, a latching mechanism may engage the base of the pallet to retain the pallet in its respective bay during transportation.
It is a final aspect of this invention to provide a method for delivering gas cylinders. The method comprises the steps of providing a plurality of gas cylinder pallets. Loading a plurality of gas cylinders into the pallets through the front ends of the pallets. After the step of loading, arranging the plurality of gas cylinder pallets into a vehicle payload area in two rows. The front ends of a first row of pallets face the front ends of a second row of pallets. After the step of arranging, unloading, at any given time, any one of the plurality of gas cylinders without moving any of the pallets and without moving any of the other of the plurality of gas cylinders.